Strip controlling attachment



April 20, 1937. c. R. MABON 2,077,428-

STRIP CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1934 s Sheet-Sheet 1 April 20, 1937. c. R. MABON STRIP QONMIROLLING ATTACHMENT s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1954 April 20, 1937. I

C. R. MABON STRIP CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT Application December 14, 1934, Serial No. 757,502

20Claims.

This invention relates to machines in which typewriting is utilized to make records, and more particularly it relates to tabulating machines and the like of the type in which continuous webs or 5 strips of paper, which may be interleaved with carbon paper, are fed to and from the machine. It has for one of its objects the provision of a practical and efficient attachment for such machines and which is so designed and constructed 19 as properly and effectually to guide the paper worksheets or workstrips in. a continuous manner to and from the roller platen of the tabulating machine, and which acts to maintain the web smooth and taut and prevent buckling.

15 Another object of the invention is the provision of a web-guiding means for such machines which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, which can be readily applied to and removed from the machine, and whose parts are easily ad- 20 justable to adapt the attachment to accommodate webbing of different widths.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in 25 the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tabulating machine showing the invention in connection therewith;

30 Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of the web-guiding means;

Fig. 3 is anenlarged longitudinal sectional elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sec- 5 tion taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4,

Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation taken on line 55, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the stand or table from which the webbing is fed or unfolded to the guide means and to which it is returned in a folded condition after passing through the machine.

Similar characters of reference indicate corre-. sponding parts throughout the several views.

By way of example, the invention has'been shown in connection with a typewriting tabulating machine indicated generally by the numeral ill and of the type for typing upon a number of 50 superposed webs or continuous sheets I l, especially those which are disposed in a folded stack, as

shown in Figure 1, and which are intended to be torn off in sections from the body of the web. as printed forms used in billing, etc., and wherein 55 continuous carbon sheetsare interleaved 'with the webs for making duplicate copies. Disposed rearwardly of the machine is a stand l2 which may be in the form of a skeleton-like frame having a plurality of trays or shelves l3, l4 and I5. which constitute supports for the folded sheets or webbing as they are fed to the machine and discharged therefrom after the typing operation. For the purpose of using the stand in either of the optional forms shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6, the intermediate shelf I3 is fixed while the upper 10 and lower shelves l4 and I5 are pivoted atIB and I1 respectively, to the stand to'swing verti c'ally whereby they may assume the positions depicted in such figures. In Fig. 1, the lower shelf is swung outwardly to a position rearwardly of 15 the stand to receive the sheets in a reversely folded condition after being operated upon by the machine, while the upper shelf I4 is adjusted to an inclined position by the slotted brace I8 to form a guide for directing the sheets to the lower shelf. In Fig. 6, the lower shelf 15 is not used, the sheets being fed from the intermediate shelf 13 and returned and deposited on the upper shelf M which assumes the horizontal position shown.

Mounted on the top side of the machine 10 above and substantially rearwardly of its roller platen I9 is the improved device or attachment for guiding the sheets or webbing as they are fed in a continuous manner to and from the platen. This attachment is preferably constructed as follows:-

The numerals 20, 20 indicate supporting plates or brackets which may be connected at their front ends to attaching arms 2| rising from the opposite sides of the machine Ill and on which upper and lower pairs of horizontal rods 22 and 23, respectively, are detachably mounted. The upper rods 22 may be provided at their ends with reduced necks 24 which engage corresponding upwardly-opening notches 25, 26 in the top edges of the brackets, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the notch 25 being substantially L-shaped with the front rod interlocking therewith to prevent its upward displacement. The lower rods may be tapped at their ends to receive attaching screws 21 engaging corresponding openings 28 in said brackets. Applied to these rods are substantially parallel upper and lower guides over whichthe sheets pass in being fed to and from the roller platen, each guide consisting of end sections 29, 29 and. an intermediate section 30, all of the sections being of the same curvature, as shown in Fig. 2, with the upper guide-sections extending a suitable distance beyond the companion lower guidesections to prevent interference between the forguide-sections 29 are provided at their outer edges with upstanding flanges 3| which serve to properly track the sheets. Depending from the side edges of each end section are attaching flanges. 32 having openings therein engaging the com panion upper or lower rods 22 or 23, one of the flanges of each said section having a collar 33 thereon for adjustably securing its guide-section in place on the rods by a set screw 34. Each in-' termediate guide-section 39 has similar attachin flanges 35 which are provided with notches 36 and 31 for detachable engagement with the companion rods 22, 23 in the manner shown in Fig. 5, the notch 36 facing downwardly and the notch 31 facing inwardly whereby the sections may be easily applied to and removed from the rods in the manner shown by dotted lines in said figures, but are eifectually held against vertical displacement.

By mounting and assembling the guide-sections 29, 39 in this manner, they may not only be readily applied to and removed from the brackets 29, 29 as a unit, but the intermediate sections 39 may be independently removed when not required, as when the width,of the sheets being operated upon are narrow, and the end sections 39 may be adjusted on the rods to any desired position to accommodate sheets of different widths.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the end sections 29 of the upper guide have paper-engaging presser plates 39 which are loosely hinged at their rear ends to the companion rod 22 while their front ends overlie the sheets I i to hold them firmly and smoothly against the lower guide sections. These plates 39 may act as weights on the paper strips so as also partially to tension the strips.

It will be noted from reference to Figures 1 and 6 that the shelves [5 and I9, respectively, to which the sheets are returned in an interfolded condition after passing through the typewriting machine, are preferably a suitable distance below the plane of the upper or return guides 29, 39 to exert a downward pull on the sheets to create an even tension thereon to keep the sheets smooth and eliminate buckling of the sheets as they leave the platen l9.

The pack or assembly of worksheets ll coming from the shelf I 3 (Fig. 1) passes over the lower curved strip guides 29, 39, thence around the platen l9 where the typing is effected. On leaving the platen, the worksheets pass upwardly and over the curved upper sheet guides 29, 39 flowingrearwardly and downwardly over the plate 14 and dropping from this plate by gravity onto shelf it, where the worksheets refold into a pack. The guide elements 29 being adjustable laterally relative to each other on the rods 22,.may be set to accommodate worksheets of different widths, the flanges 3i of the side guides operating to maintain the worksheets in a predetermined path and in lateral alignment. When the space between the two side guides would be so great as tonermit buckling of the worksheets below the plane of the guide plates 29, the intermediate guide plate 39 is utilized to form a central supporting guide plate for the wider worksheets. As the worksheets pass toward the platen of the machine, they may be smoothed and tensioned by permitting the pivoted presser plate 38 to rest upon the upper face of the worksheets, this presser plate cooperatingwith the underlying guide plate to smooth the worksheet as it passes toward the platen. The presser plate may fall by gravity onto the other sheets and 59% W 8 weiflhli ward and return feed of the sheets. The end which at the same time is pivoted to the attachment.

The rear end of the upper guide extends beyond the rear end of the lower guide and thereby carries the worksheets coming from the platen beyond that reach of the worksheets leading from the supply-shelf l3 to the rear end of the lower guide. In this manner the advancing reach 49 of the worksheet does not interfere with the receding reach ll thereof, and in consequence the latter reach may descend under the influence of gravity, and retold itself automatically on the receiving shelf IS. The supply-sheet-shelf I3 is disposed in a plane below the rear end of the lower guide elements 29, and the receiving-sheetshelf I5 is disposed in a plane below the rear end of the upper guide elements 29, and the shelf [5 is also disposed rearwardly of that reach 49 of the work-sheets coming from the supply-shelf l3.

The plate I4 is pivoted on frame l2 and is adjustable from an inclined sheet-guiding position, as for instance illustrated in Fig. 1, to a sheetpacking supporting position, as for instance illustrated in Fig, 6.

It is to be understood that the illustration of the tabulating machine is largely conventional, inasmuch as the improvement relates more especially to the attachment alone and to the attachment in its relation to the platen of the machine. The

details of the tabulating machine are, of course, such as may be found in commercial machines.

It is further to be understood that the continuous worksheets may be composed of continuous record sheets only, suitable carbon being interposed at the platen to effect carbon copies as may be desired, or continuous carbon strips or sheets upper set being Joined to each of the rods 22 and the elements of the lower set being joined to each of the rods 23. It will be noted that the supporting rods 22 and 23 are freely received in the downwardly extending supporting flanges of the respective sheet guiding elements 29 and 39, whereby said rods may turn in these bearing supports. Also it will be seen that the intermediate sheet guiding element 39 maylmove upward pivotally upon the forward supporting rod 22 whereby this element may be removed or installed in position by virtue of the arrangement of record receiving slots 36 and 31, which are inclined to each other,

as shown in Fig. 5. Thus, when these sheetguiding elements and the rods carrying them are removed from the brackets 29 which may form a part of the rod-supporting frame, the rods may have transverse movement relative to each other, and in this wise admit of the upper and lower sheet-guiding elements 29 being set in eflicient and desiredrelation to each other. When the rods are disposed in the rod-supporting frame, the latter cooperates to hold the rods and also to hold the sheet-guiding elements in stationary relation to each other. Should it be desired to change the relation of the sheet-guiding elements to each other or the relation of the sheet-guiding elements to the platen of the machine, this may readily be done by altering the relative depth of the notches in the brackets 20, or by changing the angle or by substituting other brackets with appropriate notches, or in any other suitable manner.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a platen over which a pack of worksheets may be fed, and means for guiding the sheets to and from the platen, said means including brackets adapted for attachment to the machine, sets of upper and lower supporting rods, and sectional guide elements mounted side by side on each of said rods, said brackets having rod receiving seats providing for detachable connection with the rods for the application and removal or r the rods and their guide elements as a unit to and from said brackets.

2. A sheet-guiding attachment for typewriters, comprising brackets adapted for attachment to opposite sides of the typewriter adjacent the ends of its platen, supporting rods fitted 'at their ends in said brackets, and upper and lower curved, sheet-guiding means mounted on said rods for directing the sheets to and from the typewriter platen, each of said means having a plurality of sections including end sections and an'intermediate section disposed in sidewise relation to each other on the companion rods, the end sections having means for adjustably connecting them to their companion supporting rods and the intermediate section having an attaching member having notches therein for detachable interlocking engagement with said rods.

3. A sheet-guiding attachment for tabulating machines or the like, in combination, brackets adapted for attachment to the machine, supporting rods detachably seated in said brackets, a plu- 4. A sheet-guiding attachment for tabulating machines, or the'like, in combination, supporting members, and sheet-guiding elements applied theretoin superposed, substantially parallel relation for directing the sheets to and from the typewriter platen, the upper guiding element having a pressure plate thereon engaging thesheet as it passes over the lower guiding element.

5. In a machine of the character described,' in combination, means for guiding a continuous web of paper from an interfolded stack to and from the machine platen, a frame having shelves thereon at difierent elevations below said guiding means for supporting the stack as it 'is fed to the guiding means and for receiving the web in interfolded stack-like form after leaving the guiding means, and means for mounting one of said shelves for movement into web-guiding position or into web-supporting position for supporting the folded web.

6. An attachment tor machines of the character described including, incombination, upper I and lower sheet-guides for guiding a long, continuous sheet to and from the machine platen, a supply-sheet shelf in a plane below the rear end of the lower guide, a sheet-receiving shelf in a plane below the rear end of the upper guide, the sheetreceiving shelf being disposed rearwardly of that reach of the sheet coming-from the supply-sheet shelf and being mounted for movement to sheetreceiving position or to inoperative position, and a guide positioned rearwardly of said upper guide for guiding the sheet into position on said sheetreceiving shelf.

7. An attachment for machines of the character described comprising, in combination, upper and lower sheet-guides, the upper guide projecting beyond the lower guide, a supply-sheet shelf in a plane below the rear end of the lower guide, a sheet-receiving shelf in a plane below the rear end of the upper guide, the sheet-receiving shelf being disposed rearwardly of that reach of the sheet coming from the supply-sheet shelf, a frame in which said supply-sheet shelf and said sheetreceiving shelf are supported, and a plate pivoted on said frame and adjustable from an inclined, sheet-guiding position to sheet-pack supporting'position. 1

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, two pairs of parallel, guide-supporting rods, one pair over the other, two sets of sheet-guiding elements, one of said sheet-guiding elements of one set being pivotally joined to one of the rods of said upper pair and one sheetguiding element of another set being'pivotally joined to one of the rods of the lower pair and means cooperative for holding said rods in stationary relation to each other.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, two pairs of parallel, guide-supporting rods, two sets of sheet-guiding elements respectively supported by said pairs of rods, one of said sheet-guiding'elements of one set being detachably pivotally joined .to one of the rods of one pair, and one of the sheet-guiding elements of another set being detachably pivotally joined to one of the rods of another pair, and means cooperative for holding certain of said sheet-guiding elements in stationary relation to each other 10. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines of the character described including, in combination, guide-supporting means, outer and intermediate sectional guide' elements mounted side by side on said supporting means, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or removed independently of the outer guide elements, and means for movably mounting one of said outer guide elements on said supporting means for movement toward another of said outer guide elements to provide for guide element spacing adjustment after said intermediate element has been removed, and for movement away from said last mentioned outer guide element to provide for guide element spacing adjustment when said intermediate guide element is to be installed.

, 11. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines of the character described including, in combination, guide-supporting means, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side byside on said supportingmeans, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or removed independently of the outer guide elements, and

guiding plates with outer angularly disposed guiding flanges for guiding engagement with the sheet edges.

.12. A guiding attachment for guiding sheets to and from the writing platen of machines 01' the character described including, in combination, a plurality of guide-supporting means spaced apart and positioned respectively adjacent to the courses of the sheets to and from the platen, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on each of said supporting means and positioned respectively in the courses of the sheets to and from the platen, said guide elements for one course terminating at their outer ends beyond the outer ends of the guide elements of the other course, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or may be removed independently of the outer guide elements, and means for movably mounting one of said outer guidev elements of each course on said supporting means for movement toward another of said outer guide elements to provide for guide element spacing adjustment after said intermediate guide element has been removed, and for movement away from said last mentioned outer g'uide element to provide for guide element spacing adjustment when 40 said intermediate guide element is to be installed.

13. A guiding attachment for guiding sheets to and from the writing platen of machines of the character described including, in combination, a plurality of guide-supporting means spaced apart 45 and positioned respectively adjacent to the courses of the sheets to and from the platen, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on each of said supporting means and positioned respectively in the courses 50 of thesheets to and fromthe platen, said guide elements for one course terminating at their outer ends beyond the outer ends of the guide elements of the other course, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in opera- 55 tive position or may be removed independently of the outer guide elements, and means for movably mounting one of said outer guide elements of each course on said supporting means for movement toward another of said outer guide 60 elements to provide for guide element spacing adjustment after said intermediate guide element has been removed, and for movement away from; said last mentioned outer guide element to provide for guide element spacing adJustment when 65 said intermediate guide element is to be installed, said intermediate guide element of each course having a longitudinally curved sheet-guiding plate and the outer guiding elements having longitudinally curved sheet-guiding plates with out- 70 er angularly disposed guiding flanges for guiding engagement with the sheet edges.

14. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines of the character described including, in combination, guide-supporting means, outer and 75 intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on said supporting means, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or removed independently of the outer guide elements, and means for movably mounting one 01' said outer guide elements on said supporting means for movement toward another of said outer guide elements to provide for guide element spacing adjustment after said intermediate element has been removed, and for movement away fromsaid. last mentioned outer guide element to provide for guide element spacing adjustment when said intermediate guide element is to be installed, said guide elements having depending supporting flanges by means 01' which they are connected to said supporting means.

15. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines of the character described including, in combination, guide-supporting means, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on said supporting means, means whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or removed independently of the outer guide elements, and said guide elements having laterally spaced, depending supporting flanges by means of which they are connected to said supporting means.

16. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines oi the character described including, in

' combination, guide supporting means, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on said supporting means, depending supporting flanges on said intermediate guiding element having open slots, oneof which is inclined to the other, providing an interlocking connection with said guide-supporting means. whereby said intermediate guide element may be installed in operative position or removed independently of the outer guide elements.

17. A guiding attachment for sheets on machines of the character described including, in combination, guide-supporting means, outer and intermediate sectional guide elements mounted side by side on said supporting means, depending supporting flanges on said intermediate guide element having open slots, one of which is inguide element spacing adjustment when said intermediate guide element is to be installed.

18. An attachment for machines oi the character described including, in combination, upper and lower sheet-guides for guiding a long, continuous sheet to and from the machine platen, a

supply sheet shelf in a plane below the rear end of the lower guide, and movably mounted shelves positioned above and below said supply sheet shelf, one of said movable shelves being" movable into sheet-supporting position or into sheet-guiding position, and one being movable from inoperative position into operative sheet-receiving position.

19. In an ,apparatus of the character described, in combination, two pairs of parallel guide-supporting rods, two sets or sheet-guiding elements respectively supported by said pairs of rods, one of said sheet-guiding elements of one set being detachably pivotally joined to ,one of the rods of one pair and one of the sheet-guiding elements of another set being detachably pivotally joined to one of the rods of another pair, another of the sheet-guiding elements of each set being adjustable along the respective guide-supporting rods so as to adjust the spacing of the sheet-guiding 10 elements and means cooperative vfor holding said sheet-guiding elements in relation to each other.

20. In an apparatus 01' the character described,

and a sheet-controlling presser depending from one of said rods into cooperative'relation with one of said sheet-guiding elements.

CARL ROBERT MABON. 

